Novogrudok-Minsk Pocket
The Novogrudok-Minsk Pocket was a planned encirclement of the Soviet 13th Army that occurred during Operation Barbarossa in World War II. While the Soviets were never fully encircled, many of their divisions were destroyed as the Germans attacked from all sides and captured Minsk and other major cities and towns in the area. Background The German advances in the north and south of the Minsk front from 22 to 26 June 1941 created yet another Soviet bulge, this one having numerous arms. The southwestern arm was centered around Slonim, and was guarded by three divisions; the southern arm was centered around Slutsk and Lyuban, and was guarded by four (undermanned) divisions; the western arm was centered around Lida, and was guarded by six battered divisions; and the northern arm, centered around Molodechno, was guarded by six divisions. The German plan was to sever these four limbs of the Soviet bulge, thereby transforming the Soviet bulge into a tightened gap between Novogrudok in the west and Minsk in the east. As Minsk was the main objective of the Germans during the campaign, the Germans sought to deliver a crushing blow to the Soviet forces in the region, enabling the capture of Minsk and the drive on the future targets of Zhlobin, Mogilev, and Vitebsk at the very eastern end of the Minsk operational area. History Assaults towards Minsk The western arm was the first to be reduced. The XXXIX Panzer Corps, backed by Luftwaffe aircraft from the II Fliegerkorps, assaulted the Soviet 36th Tank Division at the town of Lida, routing it. The same unit proceeded to attack south and rout the 42nd and 6th Rifle Divisions, and it then routed the Soviet 13th Rifle Division. The Panzer Corps, the most mobile of the German forces, was able to move into Novogrudok as the Soviet forces withdrew towards Minsk. The southwestern arm was the next to be attacked. The German 7th Infantry Division shattered the Soviet 27th Rifle Division, and the LVII Panzer Corps moved into position to the north of Novogrudok, rapidly approaching Minsk. The XXXXVII Panzer Corps then moved into Dzerzhinsk, causing for more Soviet forces to retreat. Further west, at Slonim, the 286th and 283rd Infantry Divisions routed the Soviet 30th Tank Division and the Soviet 10th AT Artillery Brigade, marking the final destruction of all Soviet forces west of the Neman and Shara Rivers. New plan The Germans had made great progress, but at the cost of aborting their original plan. While the original plan called for the creation of a Soviet pocket entrapping several divisions in a cauldron from Novogrudok to Minsk, the Germans had, in fact, secured Novogrudok and driven the Soviets to the outskirts of the city itself. Many retreating Soviet forces had moved beyond the intended cauldron area, decreasing the number of Soviet forces that would be able to be trapped and destroyed. This was partially caused by the supply difficulties of the Pripet Marshes forces, as they still faced a large number of Soviet divisions in the south and therefore would have to continue battling them as Minsk was secured. Instead, the Germans planned to destroy a nose-shaped Soviet bulge at Stolbtsy in the west as the southern forces drove the Soviets from the marshlands and as the northern forces secured the towns of Molodechno, Vileika, Pleshanitsy, and Smolevichi, which would complete an encirclement of the Soviets from the eastern side. Therefore, the northern pincer would be the only encircling pincer, but its strong divisions would have no trouble trapping the Soviets into the gap, which was now limited to just Minsk and the surrounding countryside. Final offensive By 3 July, the Germans had rested and resupplied enough to continue their offensive. The Soviets managed to dash the Germans' hope of encircling Minsk by moving the majority of their units to the south; however, these units consisted mostly of routed units, and were therefore not important to the Germans' strategic goals. After breaking through the 6th AT Artillery Brigade and the 63rd Fortified Region, the 10th Panzer Division and the 29th Motorized Division moved north, entering an abandoned Minsk. To the south, the XXXXVI Panzer Corps rolled into Slutsk as the Soviet divisions continued to retreat, and the Soviets continued to fall back as the Germans entered more towns. Soon, the Germans formed their own salient past Minsk as the Soviets withdrew. The Germans decided to eliminate the Soviet forces west of the Berezina, with this being their objective for the end of the Minsk offensive. To the east of Minsk, some panzer forces even crossed the Berezina River after occupying the deserted town of Berezino and smashing through Soviet forces. The Germans set about reducing the two Soviet bulges on either side of the Minsk salient, with their panzer forces destroying Soviet rifle and tank divisions and driving them back. The German capture of Minsk led to their victory by 10 July, with their objectives being complete within their timeframe. Category:World War II Category:Battles